Online Graduate Certificates

William & Mary Law School's online graduate certificates deliver concentrated, practical knowledge in high-demand legal disciplines. Designed for working professionals, these programs allow students to build specialized expertise without putting your career on hold. Attorneys can expand service offerings and enhance professional credibility in emerging or highly regulated areas of practice. Non-lawyers gain valuable legal knowledge in support of leadership, compliance, risk management, and strategic decision-making. Credits earned may also be applied toward the Master of Legal Studies degree (MLS).

Launch in January 2027.

Graduate Certificates Offered

• U.S. Law & Legal Foundations
• Compliance & Risk Management
• Finance Law
• Health Law
• Law & Emerging Technologies

U.S. Law & Legal Foundations Courses

15 credits required

• LAW 810: Introduction to U.S. Law and Legal System (3 credits)
• LAW 812: Contract Law: Interpretation and Strategy (4 credits)
• LAW 813: Business Associations and Organizational Management (4 credits)
• LAW 814: Foundations of Regulatory Law: Antitrust, Privacy, and Tax (4 credits)

Return to Top

12 credits

• LAW 830 Risk Management and Liability (4 credits)
• LAW 832 The Regulatory Landscape (4 credits)
• LAW 833 Compliance Strategy and Organizational Integration (4 credits)

Return to Top

12 credits

• LAW 820 AI and the Law (4 credits)
• LAW 821 Cybersecurity and the Law: Compliance, Ethics, and Global Governance (4 credits)
• LAW 822 Ethics and Regulation of Biotech and Health Technologies (4 credits)

Return to Top

12 credits

• LAW 840 Consumer Financial Law (4 credits)
• LAW 841 Banking and Law Fundamentals (4 credits)
• LAW 843 Investment Management Regulation (4 credits)

Return to Top

12 credits

• LAW 850 Health Law Frameworks and Regulations (4 credits)
• LAW 851 Healthcare Administration: Legal Issues and Risk Management (4 credits)
• LAW 852 Policy, Patient Rights, and Equity in Healthcare (4 credits)

Return to Top

Transfer Credits

Transfer credits are not permitted in W&M Law School online graduate certificates. 

Return to Top

Graduate Certificate Admission Requirements

• Applicants must have received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university before enrolling at William & Mary Law.
• Applicants are expected to have an overall grade point average of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale.
• Applicants must have at least six months prior work experience in the applicable field of concentrations

Application Checklist

1. Law School Application: Apply through the William & Mary Application portal.
2. Required Personal Statement: Students should consider the personal statement as their unique opportunity to share with the admissions committee who they are and why they are interested in the Master of Legal Studies program and William & Mary Law School.
3. Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended, even if a degree was not earned
4. A resume or CV

Key Graduate Certificate Admission Dates

Grades

All courses in the program will be graded on an A through F scale: A, Excellent; B, Good; C, Minimum Pass; and grades below C, Fail. Students may not repeat a course in which a minimum grade of C was received, unless a petition to do so is approved by the Associate Dean for Online and Executive Education. If a course is repeated, the student will pay tuition to retake, and the first grade remains on the student's record and is included in the cumulative GPA. Though any grade below a C is considered a failure, the grading system allows for grades C through F and identifies quality points for these grades. These grades are included in the cumulative GPA. Grade distribution (a curve or mean GPA) will not be integrated into MLS grading. A student may not elect to be graded on an Honors/Pass/Fail scale.

Law grades in courses graded by standard letter grade have quality points from which the student grade point average is determined:

• A (4.0), A- (3.7)
• B+ (3.3), B (3.0), B- (2.7)
• C+ (2.3), C (2.0)," C- (1.7), D (1.0), and
• F (fail - 0 quality points that will factor into the grade point average; no credit is earned).

The grade of A+ is not awarded as a final course grade.

Other grades that have no effect on grade point average may be on the student's transcript:  

• P; transfer credit from another institution - students must request permission to "visit" another institution or an institution's abroad program and must seek approval to register in specific courses. To transfer, grades in approved credits must be a "C" or better and will come to the W&M transcript as a P (pass)
• I; incomplete-can only be given with permission of the Associate Dean for Online and Executive Education, and is never given to a graduating student in the semester they are graduating
• O; satisfactory audit-no credit earned
• U; unsatisfactory audit-no credit earned

Grade Review, Appeals, and Grade Changes

Students have the right to discuss their academic performance with the instructor of record regarding examinations, papers, presentations, class participation, experiential learning activities, or any other work submitted in partial or complete satisfaction of course requirements. The purpose of such discussions is to promote student learning and understanding of the evaluation process. These conversations may include discussion of:

• The strengths and weaknesses of the student's work;
• The grading criteria and standards used in evaluating the work;
• The student's performance relative to the stated course requirements; and
• Other matters related to academic performance and assessment.

These discussions are intended to provide feedback and clarification and do not, by themselves, constitute a request for a grade change.

Students who believe a final grade was assigned improperly or that established grading procedures were not followed may seek review through the Law School's grade appeal process. A written appeal must be submitted in accordance with the procedures and timelines established by the Law School. Appeals will be reviewed through the appropriate academic channels, and decisions may be further appealed in accordance with Law School policy. The decision of the Dean, or the Dean's designee, shall be final.

Final grades are presumed to be accurate and final once submitted. A grade may be changed only in limited circumstances, including the correction of an administrative, clerical, calculation, or recording error, or the resolution of an approved Incomplete grade in accordance with policy. Grade changes may not be used to re-evaluate previously graded work, provide additional opportunities to improve a grade after the conclusion of a course, or alter a grade based solely on a student's academic standing or grade point average.

Only the instructor of record may initiate a grade change request, and all requests must be submitted and approved in accordance with procedures and established deadlines.

Return to Top

GPA Requirements

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, the general standard expected of students in William & Mary graduate programs, is required to graduate. 

The Curve and Ranking

Graduate certificate students are not affected by nor count towards the curve, and they are not ranked. 

Academic Probation and Dismissal

Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.75 will be placed on academic probation. Student notifications will include the required GPA in subsequent courses required to achieve the 2.75 minimum cumulative GPA and be removed from probation. 

A student will be dismissed from the program if the student: 

1. Cannot mathematically achieve the minimum GPA before completing the remaining credit hours required to complete the degree; 
2. Receives two or more failing grades (any grade lower than a C) in any course at any time during the program; 
3. Fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 upon completion of 16 credit hours in the program; or 
4. Fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 upon completion of 32 credit hours (completion of the program). 

Any student who has been academically dismissed in other than their final semester may petition the Academic Advisory Committee for reinstatement. The decision of the Academic Advisory Committee concerning such petitions is final. All petitions for reinstatement must be typed and filed with the Office of the Vice Dean. Email petitions must be sent from the student's official .wm email account, and the student bears the burden of ensuring receipt. A student who has been academically dismissed after having been readmitted is no longer eligible to petition for reinstatement.

Students are encouraged to review guidance and procedures for submitting a Petition for Reinstatement.

These regulations apply to all certificate candidates and ensure a student who is unable to raise their GPA to the minimum required for completion can be dismissed and will not incur further financial obligations for a certificate they are not able to earn. 

Return to Top

Completion Requirements

To be awarded a graduate certificate, a student must: 

• Complete the total number of credits (12 or 15) required by the specific certificate in which the student is enrolled;  
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75; and 
• Apply online for graduation beginning February 15, but no later than September 2, in the calendar year prior to their graduation date. For Class of 2027, MLS seeking students, if graduating January, May, or August 2027, students are required to apply for graduation beginning February 15, 2026 but no later than September 1, 2026.